What is Bladder Cancer?

Bladder cancer is a type of cancer that begins in your bladder which is a balloon shaped organ in your pelvic cavity that stores your urine. Bladder cancer begins most often in the cells that line the inside of the bladder. Cancer cells are called neoplasia which means cell division that is abnormal.

What are some Risk Factors of Bladder Cancer?

Factors that may increase your risk of bladder cancer include:

• Smoking
• Increasing age
• Being white
• Being a man
• Exposure to certain chemicals
• Previous cancer treatment
• Taking certain diabetes medications
• Chronic bladder infammation
• Personal or family history of cancer

What Symptoms Should you look for?

Bladder cancer signs and symptoms may include:

• Blood in Urine (this may appear bright red or cola coloured)
• Pelvic Pain
• Frequent Urination
• Painful Urination
• Black Pain
• The CAUTION acronym:
• Change in bowel or bladder habits
• A sore throat that does not heal
• Unusual bleeding or discharge
• Tenderness in a lump or a breast
• Indigetion or inability to swallow
• Obvious change in the size of a mole or a wart
• Nagging cough

What are Possible Causes of Bladder Cancer?

Different types of cells in your bladder can become cancerous. The type of bladder cell where cancer begins determines the type of bladder cancer. Your bladder cancer determines which treatments may work best for you.

It is not always clear what causes bladder cancer. Bladder cancer has been linked to the following:

• Smoking
• Chemical Exposure
• Parasitic Infection
• Radiation

How to Prevent Bladder Cancer?

Although there's no guaranteed way to prevent bladder cancer , you can take steps to help reduce your risks. Some include:

• Drink water throughout the day
• Don't Smoke
• Take caution around chemicals
• Chose a variety of fruits and vegetables

How can Bladder Cancer be Treated?

Treatment for bladder cancer depend on a number of factors, including the type and stage of the cancer, your overall health, and your treatment preferences

• Early Stage
• Surgery to remove tumor
• Biological Therapy (immunotherapy)
• Surgery to remove tumour and small portion of bladder
• Surgery for invasive bladder cancer
• Surgery to create a new way for urine to leave your body
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation
• Live radioactive teburculosis insertion

What is Chemotherapy and Radiation?

• Chemotherapy: Uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy treatment for bladder cancer usually involves two or more chemotherapy drugs in combination
• Radiation Therapy: Uses high energy beams aimed at your cancer to destroy the cancer cells. Used after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells

What are Complications of Bladder Cancer?

Bladder cancer often recurs. Because of this, bladder cancer survivors often must undergo follow-up testing for years after successful treatment. What tests you'll undergo and how often depend on your type of bladder cancer and your treatment, among other factors.

How is Bladder Cancer Diagnosed?

Tests and procedures used to diagnose bladder cancer may include the following:

• Cystoscopy
• Biopsy
• Urine Cytology
• Imaging Tests

Who has Higher Chances of getting Bladder Cancer?

Typically bladder cancer is more likely to affect older adults. Though bladder cancer can occur at any age but is very rare in children

What are the most Common Types of Bladder Cancer?

Types of bladder cancer may include:

• Transitional Cell Carcinoma- Transitional Cell Carcinoma occurs in the cells that line the inside of your bladder. Transitional cells expand when your bladder is full and contract when your bladder is empty
• Squamous Cell Carcinoma- Squamous cells appear in your bladder in response to infection and irritation. Over time they become cancerous. Squamous cell bladder cancer is rare in the United States
• Adenocarcinoma- Adenocarcinoma begins in the cells that make up mucus-secreting glands in the bladder. Adenocarcinoma the bladder is rare in the United States

How to Stage Bladder Cancer?

• CT Scan
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• Bone Scan
• Chest X-Ray

What are the Stages of Bladder Cancer?

• 1- Cancer in the bladders inner lining hasn't invaded muscular wall
• 2- Cancer has invaded wall still confined to the bladder
• 3- cancer cells have spread through the wall to surrounding tissue
• 4- Cancer cells may have spread to lymph nodes and other organs (bones, liver, or lungs)

Bibliography

"Bladder Cancer." Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2017.